As one of Africa’s top footballing nations, much was expected of Bafana Bafana at their debut World Cup in France in 1998.
Instead, South Africa’s campaign was marred by controversy – two players were sent home for breaking curfew, and head coach Philippe Troussier announced he was leaving before the team had even played their final group game.
The problems had begun long before the tournament. Clive Barker, who had led Bafana to their first Afcon title in 1996, departed suddenly after a disappointing showing at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. Jomo Sono was handed the reins on an interim basis for the 1998 Afcon, before Frenchman Troussier was appointed to take the team to France.
But from the moment he arrived, Troussier – who had briefly coached Kaizer Chiefs in 1994 – made it clear he was unimpressed with what he saw. Before Bafana’s final match against Saudi Arabia, he publicly declared his intention to leave the post.
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“The way I see it, my job doesn’t correspond to what is going on in the South African squad,” Troussier told the LA Times. “I wasn’t hired to run a holiday camp.”
He added that only five players in the squad were taking the competition seriously. “The rest are tourists,” he said.
Two of those accused of lacking professionalism were midfielder William “Naughty” Mokoena and forward Brendan Augustine, who went out partying ahead of the Saudi Arabia game.
Speaking on Marawa Sports Worldwide three years ago, Mokoena reflected on that night and took full responsibility.
“I won’t make excuses. I have to account. I made a bad decision and I still regret it to this day,” said Mokoena, who by 2022 was running his own foundation.
“I still think of that evening. Now I’m trying to ensure that others don’t repeat my mistakes. For me to teach someone, I have to accept that I made a flop. I’m not hiding. There are no excuses. I missed the curfew. I went out and I was drinking.
“It’s up to me now to ensure that youngsters don’t do what I did. And it’s not just at the World Cup — even when you get a contract, you can’t do that in camp. You’ll get into trouble.”
After being caught, Mokoena and Augustine were given a choice: pay a R100,000 fine or return home. They chose to leave. As they departed the team hotel, Augustine gave an emotional apology.
“Although there were a number of factors that led to me breaking my curfew, my behaviour was unprofessional and unnecessary,” said the then LASK Linz forward.
He never elaborated on those “factors,” but reports at the time suggested he was unhappy after being substituted at half-time in Bafana’s 1-1 draw with Denmark.
“I sincerely regret my actions and hope to have the opportunity to represent my country in the future,” he added at the time.
Neither Augustine nor Mokoena ever played for South Africa again.
In the end, Bafana’s first World Cup was a lesson wrapped in disappointment. The team left France without a win, but the chaos of 1998 forced South African football to confront uncomfortable truths about its professionalism, discipline, and leadership. Four years later, at the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, Bafana returned a more focused and united side – still short of the knockout stages, but much stronger in spirit and discipline.
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